Question: Is there a problem with
Tzahal waging war during Operation Protective Edge since it is the Three Weeks,
a period of bad Mazal?The Shulchan
Aruch (Orach Chaim 551:1) says that if one has a court case against a non-Jew
during the month of Av, he should try to avoid it and attempt to move it to
Adar (as per Ta'anit 29b), since the month of Av is not an auspicious time for Am
Yisrael.During this month it was
decreed in the Desert that we would not enter Eretz Yisrael, the First and
Second Temple were destroyed, the Jews were expelled from Spain, the First
World War began, etc.Perhaps it would
be worthwhile to postpone Operation Protective Edge until after the Three
Weeks?

Answer:

1.It
is a Recommendation

The Gemara (ibid.) does not say that it is
forbidden to have a court case against a non-Jew during Av but rather that he
should try to avoid it.After all, it is
not always possible to move a court date.If he is able, he should postpone it, but if it is not, it is not
forbidden.In our case, we did not
choose to wage war right now but rather the non-Jews caused us distress and we
needed to defend ourselves.We did not
initiate this conflict, they did.Hashem
ordained that it would occur now.

This is an indescribable miracle, since the
area near Gaza is full of terror tunnels which go under Kibbutzim.They could - G-d forbid - enter those
communities and commit horrible atrocities, including killing and
kidnapping.Who knows what could have
occurred later.Hashem performs miracles.Sometimes we cannot understand what He does,
but this time we can.If they had accepted
a ceasefire, for example, they would still have all of their missiles and
tunnels.Hashem truly performed a great
kindness.

2.One
who Performs a Mitzvah will Know no evil

Avoiding a court case with a non-Jew is not a
halachic issue but a spiritual one - "One who performs a Mitzvah will know
no evil" (Kohelet 8:5).Waging war
is a three-fold Mitzvah: 1. Defense of the Nation.2. Defense of the Land.3. The sanctification of G-d's Name. When we
are being beaten and murdered, robbed and raped, it is a desecration of G-d's
name. And when we fiercely respond to our enemies it is a sanctification of
G-d's name (Rabbenu Ha-Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, Le-Netivot Yisrael 1:118). When one is performing a Mitzvah, he will know
no evil.

During one of the wars I was on reserve duty,
and three guys with long beards, long jackets and black hats came along.They gave out Le-Chaims, sang and
danced.They then gave each solider a
baggie with 10 Agurot in it and said that they should give the money to a poor
person at the end of the war, since "Harm will not befall one on the way
to perform a Mitzvah".All of the
soldiers looked at me, since I was the only religious solider in the unit, but
I was looking the other way so as not to interfere (since the Gemara in Pesach
8b which mentions this concept states that it only applies in the case of an
infrequent danger).One of the
non-religious soldiers said: "I don't understand.I am risking my life for Am Yisrael.This isn't a Mitzvah"?The Chasid answered: Want do you care -
you'll have two Mitzvot: 10 Agurot and Self-Sacrifice for Am Yisrael…All the soldiers looked at me, but I was
looking at the beautiful view of Eretz Yisrael.

3.We
are Transforming in a Bad Time into a Good One

The month is Av is a bad month, but the
Maharal explains in Netzach Yisrael that although there are good and bad periods,
we can transform them. For example, the
month of Kislev falls in the middle of winter in the darkest time of the year,
but we have transformed it into a good time with Chanukah.It all depends on us.Kislev was transformed and Av can be
transformed.And we already see that
this has occurred: The Exile is crumbling and Eretz Yisrael is
flourishing.Rabbi Abba states: “There
is no clearer sign that the time of Redemption has arrived than that the Land
of Israel produces fruit in abundance" (Sanhedrin 98a. Rashi).Now there are grapes on the vines and figs on
the leaves.

When the first British High Commisioner,
Herbert Samuel, who was a Jew, arrived in Eretz Yisrael, he Davened on his
first Shabbat in the Churva Shul.It was
Shabbat Nachamu and he received the Haftarah, which described the re-blossoming
of Eretz Yisrael.People said: He is the
Messiah!Not yet, but from that period
on Eretz Yisrael was built up, the State was established and we waged successful
wars.Can you see the curse has been
transformed into a blessing?

This military operation is having abnormal
successful, both in the realm of advanced technology and in the realm of the
aid from Heaven.The number of soldiers
that have been killed and injured is much lower than expected, despite the extremely
difficult and complicated mission.

There are natural and supernatural miracles
occurring.On a personal level, we are greatly
pained by the loss of each and every soldier, but on a national level, we are
in the best state since the beginning of our Exile 2000 years ago.

Mission Statement

To Enrich the spiritual life of the English-speaking World through the Torah of Ha-Rav Shlomo Aviner, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Ateret Yerushalayim in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem. By offering English translations of Rav Aviner’s written and oral Torah, this division of the yeshiva aims to expose English speakers to a powerful, sensitive and poetic voice unparalleled in our time. His unfailing optimism, his tolerance and love all Jews, his guidance for harmony within the Jewish family and his dedication to Eretz Yisrael, the State of Israel and Tzahal will inspire and enrich the lives of all who may now have access to his words.